Top 10 things to know about camp

Wednesday

Apr 4, 2007 at 5:26 PMApr 4, 2007 at 5:30 PM

By Helen Yanulus

Sending a child to summer camp, whether it be a day or residential camp, is more than packing sunscreen, bottled water and a sleeping bag and letting the kids loose while humming “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh” all the way home.

Those who work with campers of all ages have provided a list of 10 things parents should be thinking about when it comes to camp.Susan Diorio, coordinator of the Barrett Community Vacation Bible School, suggested the following:

1. Dress for the weather. If it’s going to be a hot day, kids don’t need to be wearing or carrying around extra clothing. That will put a real damper on the day. And, the reverse if true. Show up to an outdoor event in shorts when the sun goes into hiding and the temperature drops is not a good thing.

2. Tell camp staffers about any special needs. Does your child have any health issues, such as asthma or allergies? Does your child need physical assistance? Has anything happened in the family, such as a death or divorce, that might affect the child’s behavior? This will help the camp staff be more attentive to the child’s needs.

3. Ask about how the camp handles emergencies. Where is the first-aid kit? Who is trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation? If out in the woods, is cell service available in case someone gets lost?

4. Karen N. Boyle, environmental educator with the Monroe Country Environmental Education Center, offered these ideas:Check out what types of items are provided by the facility and what items need to be provided by the parents. “We ask that the kids provide lunch, a plastic cup that they can keep at the center all week, dress in sturdy shoes and wear appropriate clothes for the weather, etc., while we provide juice, and raincoats to borrow, etc.,” Boyle said.

5. Ask about qualifications. What are the qualifications of the staff who will be supervising their children? Have the staff had a background check? “We all were required to have the a criminal record check as well as a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance,” Boyle said.

6. Ask about age appropriateness. Is the camp appropriate for the age of the child?

7. Familiarize yourself and your children with the facility. “Take the child to the facility ahead of time, meet the staff, check out what the facility or property is like. It will make the child more comfortable and put the parents at ease,” Boyle said.

Sherri Abbruzzi, extension educator, Youth Development/4-H, gave the following advice:8. Pack an additional pair of sneakers or shoes. “By the first morning, they are wet from the dew. We are in a wooded setting,” she said of 4-H Camp Shehaqua at Hickory Run State Park in White Haven.

9. Label the child’s belongings. “There’s always a heap of stuff left behind. If the stuff is labeled, we can return it. Otherwise, it gets cleaned and donated to whomever we think can use it,” Abbruzzi said.

10. Parents need to be positive. Abbruzzi said, “If parents are concerned about homesickness, don’t show it in front of the child.” Being positive is contagious.